by Nick Ferro, Editor
Guy Ritchie, for the most part, has my number. Of his filmography, I have only despised one of his movies (lookin’ at you, King Arthur) while the rest I have found to be anywhere from good to great. I really enjoy his dialogue and the way he sets up the story. I enjoy the way he holds back information in the plot to allow for a revelation midway through or at the end which keeps you on the edge of your seat. I enjoy the way he sets up a heist, plan, or mission. But most of all, I enjoy the cast of actors he hires to portray his characters. Even when they seem out of the ordinary. That is, until now.
Guy Ritchie’s latest directorial outing, In the Grey, is about a high-risk assets recovery team who are hired to recover a billion dollars from a ruthless criminal billionaire. The head of the operation is Rachel Wild (Eiza González), a very intelligent, crafty, and self-described pain in the ass, more capable in her line of work than any other person in the field. A fact that she uses to secure her job to recover the missing billion for Bobby (Rosamund Pike). Aided by an elite tactical team led by Sid (Henry Cavill) and Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) they set out to put pressure on their target Salazar (Carlos Bardem) in order to make him pay up. Right off the bat, this movie surprised me with how it managed to make and incredibly boring topic of “debt collection” (a job that I held down for several years) and make it well paced and enjoyable to watch. This is due in part to Ritchie’s directorial and writing styles but also because of the strength of Gyllenhaal and Cavill’s ability to command a screen. I just get lost in those eyes and… um, those acting chops… such that… what was I saying?
Unfortunately, where this movie pulls me out is also with its main cast. While I love Gyllenhaal and Cavill, there was something that just didn’t fit with this type of narrative or dialogue. They seemed stiffer than usual and while Cavill felt more in his element, Gyllenhaal seemed to be acting with one hand tied behind his back. There was a brief moment in the middle when the two of them really got to let loose with some well-written comedic dialogue that gave a peek into their character’s relationship and when that happened they suddenly lit up the screen. The same is also true for González’s performance, I don’t think she was right for this part. I really enjoy her in Ritchie’s previous film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Her scenes and chemistry with Babs Olusanmokun in that film were some of my favorite moments, but here she was just so unlikable. There was a cockiness to her character which in most movies would lead to a humbling and eventual character growth moment (the constant narration also didn’t help). However, despite her being given the opportunity to be humbled, she is not and there is no growth. She is the same at the end of the movie as she is at the start. Which is a problem I have noticed with Ritchie’s more recent films. They don’t give the characters much growth so there is very little to care about by the end.
There is something to be said for a movie that simply gives you a situation in which the goal is planed and achieved without a hitch. The act of setting it up and watching it executed is always a good time. I cannot fault In the Grey for that. However, I find the movies that give me the most reason to revisit them are the ones that do that AND deliver on characters worth watching. These characters were hollow and forgettable, and they didn’t do much to elevate the material. It’s been five years since I saw his movie Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and I still think about the character that Aubrey Plaza crafted for that film. I think where Ritchie succeeded the most at the beginning of his career was his use of comedy to mask the fact that his characters were quite often paper thin. If am having fun laughing I’m not thinking too deeply about the movie’s shortcomings. In the Grey doesn’t offer much in that respect and as a result the actors aren’t given much opportunity to shine.
I almost wonder if there was perhaps a cut-for-time back story for Sid and Bronco because they did one five second flashback scene which showed how they met Rachel, but nothing ever again. I would have liked to learn more about them, in fact, I think a more straightforward action movie about how these three met could be a lot of fun.
In the Grey is a perfectly fine entry in the “competence-porn” genre of getting enjoyment from watching people being really good at their job. But if you are looking for a story that’s more gripping or laced with comedy, I would steer you in the direction of Ritchie’s other work. This movie is great if you have a theater subscription and nothing better to do, but if not, my recommendation is to wait for streaming.
Rating: High Side of Okay
In the Grey is currently playing in theaters.
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